


How (not) to handle college admissions

by CaptainKirby



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: College, Did I say stress?, Fluff, Lots of stress, Stress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-05-06 01:31:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5397845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainKirby/pseuds/CaptainKirby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce and Tony bet that they can't get into each other's colleges. This leads to a lot of stress, arrogance, and Vodka.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. College Gets To Kids These Days

**Author's Note:**

  * For [that_one_kid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_one_kid/gifts).



> For all you who have gone through, or are going through the college admissions process. Good luck to you!

Steve had been convinced for quite some time that Tony pours himself a glass of vodka when he's alone, but doesn't drink it. He just waits until someone else walks in and then takes a sip. That's why Tony had alcohol whenever Steve needed to talk to him. Even if it's ten o'clock in the morning.

"Isn't it a little early for that?"

Tony put down his glass, "It's never too early for vodka."

"You and Natasha both." Steve whispered.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Have you seen Bruce lately?"

"No. He's probably curled up in the fetus position though."

"I'm afraid to ask why...." Steve said as he took a seat across from Tony.

"MIT admissions are coming out in a week."

"What?"

"He applied to MIT. He get's his decision in a week. Anyone in his position would be stressed." Tony poured himself another glass of vodka. He offered some to Steve out of habit, who refused it.

"But he already has a PhD."

"We made a bet. I bet him that he couldn't get into my college and he bet that I couldn't get into his."

"Where'd he even go?"

"I don't know. Desert something."

"So... he's stressing out about a bet..."

"It's college. Didn't college stress you out?"

"No..." Because Steve went into the army before college.

'Well, me neither." Because Tony got into MIT at age fifteen. "But I hear it gets to most kids these days."

Steve rolled his eyes at Tony. He needed to talk to Bruce about something _important_. He couldn't remember what... but it was definitely important. He got distracted by the conversation, and the image of Bruce writing college application essays.

"I hope he's not worrying too much." Steve said.

"Yeah, or we might have to deal with a green, rampaging monster next Wednesday."


	2. Stress Reading

The only light on in Bruce's room was the one above his desk, because that's the only one he needed to reread his MIT application essays. He had turned in the application two months ago, but he couldn't think of another coping mechanism. And he knew it was stupid too. He's Bruce Banner. Nuclear Physicist. Part of the freaking Avengers. He was going to get accepted.

"Bruce?"

He was shocked into falling out of his chair.

"You ok?"

"I'm just fine Natasha. Thanks for asking." He replied from the ground. Natasha turned on the lights to see clothes scattered about the room, and a trashcan full of crumpled up papers.

"If this is fine, I don't want to know what's not fine." She helped Bruce to his feet.

"Thanks."

"You really need to go out."

"Probably."

"C'mon." Natasha said as she turned to the door.

"Where are we going?"

"Downstairs. There's vodka there."

"But it's eleven o'clock in the morning."

"It's never too early for Vodka."

"You and Tony both."

"What?"

"Nothing." He followed her downstairs. Tony had left the Vodka out on the counter. Normally, he'd bring some with him when he went to the shop, but he got another refrigerator down there _just for vodka_. Like he was Russian or something.

Natasha poured three glasses. Two for herself, and then poured one for Bruce.

"Did something happen to you last night?" Bruce asked.

"No, I'm just thirsty."

"But what happened to water? Don't you drink water when you're thirsty?"

"How is this different from water?"

"Ok, I'm out." Bruce said as he raised his hands defeat.

"Anyways, is the bet really that big a deal?"

"Not really..." Bruce took a drink. It was kind of warm, since it had been left out for about an hour.

"Then why are you stressing so much?"

"I don't know. I just am. It's not like I even lose very much if I lose the bet."

Natasha finished her second glass, "What did you bet?"

"I'd have to hold a Stark Symposium at my school."

"Oh, that's a little embarrassing."

"But I shouldn't be stressing this much!" Bruce shouted, "I already have a PhD. I could be teaching at MIT."

"Yeah. You shouldn't be worried at all."

"I... I just need..."

"A breath of fresh air? Another glass of vodka?"

"I need to reread my essays again."

He stormed back to his room before Natasha could say anything else. It might've been useless. It might've been a crappy way to relieve stress. But hell, it's better than going green over college admissions.


	3. Judgement Day

This was it. The whole of Bruce's dignity rested upon the words about to appear before him. The MIT admissions page stared him down like a bear stares down a hunter just before they wrestle. Because that is something that Bruce had a lot of experience with.

He glanced nervously at the clock. Three minutes until the decision came out. Bruce kept clicking the refresh button, like if he did it enough he would get into MIT.

"Hey, are you ok?"

Bruce jumped two feet out of his seat. When he landed, he spun around to find Natasha dying of laughter in the doorway.

"God damn it Natasha. All I wanted was some privacy, can you just give me that?"

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't know," She replied while backing away.

"Didn't you see the sign?"

"What sign?"

"Oh, Tony must've taken it off to be funny."

"So, back to my original question..."

"Admissions decisions are about to come out. No, I'm not ok." Bruce said. He sat back down in his seat and went back to refreshing the page. It was now a minute until they came out.

"Should I leave?" Natasha asked.

"Do whatever. Just don't talk." Bruce replied. Thirty seconds. clicking filled all of the penthouse of Stark Towers. Fifteen seconds. It was either do or give a symposium on Tony Stark.

The screen changed. It asked if Bruce really wanted to view his decision. He hit yes without even reading the rest of the page. Then, a new page started to load. And it loaded. And loaded. And loaded.

"My god, these guys are such tech geeks, how come their website sucks?" Natasha said.

"Just shut up!" Bruce never took his eyes off the screen. Then... the new page appeared. Bruce just started at it in silence for a few seconds. Natasha looked over his shoulder.

"Congrats." She said.

"SUCK IT STARK!" Bruce shouted at his screen. He rushed down stairs to find Tony sitting in a nice chair sipping vodka, like usual.

"I did it. I got in. There."

"Great. So neither of us do anything then."

"Well... yeah." Bruce said, "You hear back from them yet?"

"Nah. But do I really need to?"

"Not really."

Then, Steve walked in holding a stack of letters about a foot high. Steve's the only one who ever actually gets the mail, since the rest of the avengers use email, because they actually joined the 21st century.

"Hey, Tony. One's for you." Steve said, holding out a small letter. Tony took it as Steve walked by. He opened it, read it and then swallowed.

"What it is Tony?" Natasha asked from the stair way.

"I... I..."

"You what?"

"They never got my letter of rec." Tony dropped the letter on the ground and Bruce started laughing.

"A letter of rec from who?"

"My high school math teacher."

"Wait, you actually didn't get in?" Steve asked. Tony handed him the letter.

"I won! I actually won!" Bruce said between gasps for air. Tony rolled his eyes and smiled a bit.

"Oh, whatever."

 

Two months later, MIT unveiled a statue of Hulk standing on top of Iron Man in front of the Stark sponsored Banner Lab for Gamma Radiation research. Worth multiple millions of dollars. And one missed letter of rec.


End file.
